The web-based Google Chrome OS was shown for the first time Thursday, where the company gave a brief demo of the operating system. Here's our visual tour of Google nascent operating system.

A visual tour of Google Chrome OS

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The web-based Google Chrome OS was shown for the first time this week, where the company gave a brief demo of the operating system. Here's our visual tour of Google's nascent operating system.

Google's Chrome OS is designed purely to run web-based applications, rather than software installed on a system's hard drive. At Thursday's Chrome OS event, Google claimed the new operating system's boot-up speed is a lightning-fast 7 seconds. The Chrome OS will not be available to consumers until 2010 around the Christmas season, according to Google.

Pre-Installed Chrome Coming Soon

The Chrome OS will only work with solid state drives, according to Google. Sundar Pichai, Google's vice president of product management, says that the company is working with a number of hardware manufacturers who will sell netbooks with the OS pre-installed.

Application panel

Chrome OS Running the Chrome Browser

Google OS is cloud oriented, meaning applications and data will reside primarily on the internet. In case you've lost your netbook or are experiencing a hardware failure, you'll be able to log into any PC with a web browser and a net connection and access applications. (Google Chrome browser review.)

Chrome OS Has a Task Bar to Preview Active Applications

Chrome OS's app switcher is something of a hybrid between Mac OS X's Exposé, as well as the Windows taskbar and Flip3D. When you invoke the app switcher, you get a carousel of thumbnails representing open windows. Mouse over any of the windows to see previews of any tabs located within the windows.

The web-based Google Chrome OS was shown for the first time this week, where the company gave a brief demo of the operating system. Here's our visual tour of Google's nascent operating system.

Access to Competing Cloud Apps is Supported Via Browser

Chrome OS has no apps designed specifically for it, like other operating systems do. Instead, every Chrome OS app is a web app run through the Chrome browser. Chrome OS can use any web app - the same web apps you may already use on your PC. In one humorous moment, the presenter showed Microsoft Office Live running on Chrome OS and quipped, "It turns out Microsoft launched a killer app for Chrome OS."